Diary: Water-cooler monitor

WHAT TOPICS HAS THE INDUSTRY BEEN DISCUSSING THIS WEEK? THE TALK TIME SPENT BTAA. Was last week's awards bash a little flat 4 mins because there wasn't much great work around in 2008. Or just because nobody's really in the mood to party right now? But didn't Traktor used to be fantastic, eh?

The shape of the recession. Having found 23 mins international fame by describing the last downturn as being "bath-shaped", Sir Martin Sorrell has done it again: this time he reckons it's L-shaped (dramatic and prolonged). What shape is yours?

This behavioural targeting thing. Could it offer 1 hr 23 mins salvation to all? Or could it be another opportunity for Google to inch towards full control of the advertising market? In which case, the rest of us are probably all doomed.